Market Orders

1.10 A Market Order is an Order to buy or sell a specified quantity of an Asset at the best available price of existing Orders on the Order Book.

1.11 There is no guarantee that a Market Order will Fill at the price specified. A Market Order may Fill at a number of different prices, based on the quantity of the Market Order and the quantities of the existing Orders on the Order Book at the time.

1.12 Depending on the volume and prices of Orders on the Order Book at the time when a Market Order is posted, the Market Order may Fill at a price less favorable than the most Qq

Q Q&A

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Q&A åärecent trade price, in some cases significantly so. This is commonly referred to as ‘slippage’.

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Q Q&A

Q&A

Q&A åärecent trade price, in some cases significantly so. This is commonly referred to as ‘slippage’.

1.13 A valid Market Order will be immediately posted to the Order Book. A Market Order is always a Taker Order.

Limit Orders

1.6 A Limit Order is an Order to buy or sell a specified quantity of an Asset at a specified price.

1.7 A Limit Order will only ever Fill at the specified price or a better price.

1.8 A Limit Order with ‘post-only’ selected will only be posted to the Order Book if it would not be posted at the same price as an existing Order on the Order Book. A Limit Order with ‘post-only’ selected will always be a Maker Order.

1.9 A Limit Order without ‘post-only’ selected will be immediately posted to the Order Book (subject to any Time in Force Instructions) and can result in a Maker Order or a Taker Order, or an Order that is partially a Maker Order and partially a Taker Order.

1. Trading on GDAX

1.1 GDAX operates a central limit order book trading platform, and settles trades in a number of Digital Asset and Fiat Currency Trading Pairs. Each Trader’s Account will list which Order Books are available to the Trader.

Orders

1.2 To place an Order on an Order Book, a Trader must have an Available Balance of the relevant Asset in their Account which is sufficient to cover the total value of the Order plus any applicable fees.

1.3 When a Trader places an Order, that quantity of the relevant Asset becomes subject to a Hold.

1.4 A Trader can place an Order as either a Limit Order, a Market Order, or a Stop Order.

1.5 A Trader may cancel an open Maker Order or Stop Order at any time before it is Filled. No fees are charged for canceled Orders.

In early 2017, Bitcoin rose to an all-time high of $1129.87 on January 4. It continues to rise in astronomical numbers. Just one year before, Bitcoin was at the $434 level.

Basics of Bitcoin

Bitcoin is a form of digital “currency”. It is created and held electronically, on a computer. Bitcoins are not paper money like dollars, euro or yen by central banks or monetary authorities. Bitcoin is the first example of a cryptocurrency, which is produced by people and businesses all over the world using advanced computer software that solves mathematical problems.

Satoshi Nakamoto first proposed Bitcoin as a means of payment based on mathematics. Bitcoin is a method of payment or transfer of value that is independent of governmental authorities like central banks that traditionally control money supply and the availability of currency in the global market. In many ways, Bitcoin is a pan-global means of exchange. Transfers are made via computer immediately with low transaction fees. Bitcoin does not flow through the traditional banking system; rather it flows from one computer wallet to another. Bitcoin cannot be held or kept in a pocket or wallet like currency; it is purely a computer-based means of exchange.

Bitcoin is a fixed asset; there is only a total of 21 million coins. Solving the advanced mathematical problems results in the mining of Bitcoins. However, bitcoin is divisible so the growth potential for the exchange medium is unlimited. One of the most interesting inventions that came alongside Bitcoin isblockchainor distributed ledger technology (DLT).

DLT has amazing potential when it comes to traditional operations and settlement ramifications for businesses in the financial as well as other industries. DLT tracks ownership and allows for immediate and efficient transfers of Bitcoin.

Bitcoin has several attributes that set it aside from traditional currencies as a pan-global means of exchange.

Central banks or monetary authorities do not control the number of Bitcoins; it is decentralized making it global. Anyone with a computer can set up a Bitcoin address to receive or transfer Bitcoins in seconds. Bitcoin is anonymous; the cryptocurrency allows users to maintain multiple addresses and setting up an address requires no personal information. The DLT technology makes Bitcoin completely transparent; it stores complete details by an address of every transaction that ever occurs. Transfers of Bitcoin are immediate and once made, they are final. At the same time, there are limited fees and international and domestic transfers are not subject to foreign currency exchange rates and fees for transfer. There are no borders when it comes to Bitcoin.

Is Bitcoin a Currency?

There is a great deal of debate about whether Bitcoin is acurrency. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines currency as:

Circulation as a medium of exchange

General use, acceptance, or prevalence

The quality or state of being present

Something (like coins, treasury notes, and banknotes) that is in circulation as a medium of exchange

Paper money in circulation

A comment article used for barter

A medium of verbal or intellectual expression

The official definition of currency may leave you more confused about whether Bitcoin is a currency or something else. After all, it certainly meets some of the characteristics in the definition, but not others.

In September 2015, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) in the United States officially designated Bitcoin as acommodity.

Is Bitcoin a Commodity?

The CFTC’s designation came as a response to a Bitcoin exchange that was offeringderivativecontracts or options on the value of the cryptocurrency. However, Bitcoin is one of those assets that does not quite fit well into any definition and a historical understanding of what is a currency and what is a commodity sheds light on the argument.

Throughout the course of history, many commodities and even some manufactured products have served as currency.